Warmoth body with Fender American Standard Precision neck -- how's the fit

[SeismicAssault]

Hi all ... I'm looking to replace my 2011 Fender American Standard Precision body with a Warmoth P/J body, and I was wondering how the fit is between the neck and the body.  I read the FAQ about measuring the neck depth/width, etc., and it looks like a good fit.  I was wondering more about the roundness of the heel.  I've tried different Fender necks on Fender bodies, and some fit and some don't.

Does anyone have any ideas (or can show some pictures) of how well a Fender Am. Std. P fits on a Warmoth body?

Also, if you have tried this, did you just have Warmoth drill the holes for the neck mounting bolts, or did you drill the yourselves.

Thanks!

 

[Tipperman]

It should be a fine fit, even with Warmoth drilling the mounting screw holes. Still, why replace the body? I'd get a new neck before a new body. Much bigger effect in tone, and a definite improvement over a Fender neck. Anyways, it should be just fine. Someone else will chime in more definitively, no doubt.

 

[Cagey]

I agree. While bodies have some effect on sound, the improvement a new body brings is largely cosmetic. Necks are a more active influence. You can get better woods and frets so it feels, sounds and plays better.

That said, the first Warmoth body I bought was to eliminate a Fender body I hated for its color.

I was highly impressed by the thing, so in short order I'd replaced everything else as well, and ended up with two guitars. Sold the Fender, and never looked back.

But, to answer your question, Warmoth is actually more faithful to Fender specs than Fender is - their license to produce Fender bodies and necks sorta depends on that while Fender can get away with murder. Nobody's policing them. So, your chances of things mating up properly are quite high. I mean, that's their business model - replacement necks and bodies. They don't sell kits or assembled instruments. If their replacement parts didn't mate up to the things they're supposed to, they'd be in trouble pretty fast.

 

[SalsaNChips]

I mated a Fender Stratocaster American Standard neck to a Warmoth body years ago and had no issues except that I wasn't entirely satisfied with the neck to body angle. That is, the strings were maybe 1mm lower to the body than they were when the neck was mated to the original Fender body. Not a big deal, but it bothered me enough for several years that I finally shimmed the neck ~ 1 degree and that took care of that.

 

[SeismicAssault]

It should be a fine fit, even with Warmoth drilling the mounting screw holes. Still, why replace the body? I'd get a new neck before a new body. Much bigger effect in tone, and a definite improvement over a Fender neck. Anyways, it should be just fine. Someone else will chime in more definitively, no doubt.

The real reason I'm looking at a new body is to go from a single P pickup to a P/J pickup.  I've thought about routing for a J pickup, but I'm pretty picky, and I know I wouldn't be satisfied with my own work.  With a nice fitting Warmoth P/J body, I'd be in heaven.

... Is there routing services that can give me a J route?

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

The real reason I'm looking at a new body is to go from a single P pickup to a P/J pickup.  I've thought about routing for a J pickup, but I'm pretty picky, and I know I wouldn't be satisfied with my own work.  With a nice fitting Warmoth P/J body, I'd be in heaven.

... Is there routing services that can give me a J route?

Almost certainly - there are likely a dozen luthiers or skilled luthiers in your area (ask in the musicians section of your local craigslist, if there isn't one there already) that could & would readily do the job for cheaper than a new body.  If your perfectly happy with the instrument as is, I'd say spend the $$$ to have someone route the hole (I wouldn't pay more than $50, probs less) & the new pickup.

I'd say the main draw of Warmoth is getting something that's exactly what you want with very high quality workmanship.  If you're happy with the AmStd Pbass aside from wanting the additional pickup, I'd say stay with that.  And it's much cheaper.  :icon_thumright: